1.2- Species Siraitia grosvenorii - Luo han guo or Monk fruit+ OverviewSiraitia grosvenorii(luo han guo or monk fruit) is a herbaceousperennialvine of the Cucurbitaceae (gourd) family, native to southern China and northern Thailand. The plant is cultivated for its fruit, whose extract is nearly 300 times sweeter than sugar and has been used in China as a low-caloriesweetener for cooling drinks and in traditional Chinese medicine. The plant's fruit is often called in English language publications luo han guo or lo han kuo (from the Chineseluóhàn guǒ). The scientific species name honors Gilbert Hovey Grosvenor, who as president of the National Geographic Society, helped to fund an expedition in the 1930s to find the living plant in China where it was being cultivated.Synonyms: 1- Momordica grosvenorii Swingle 2- Thladiantha grosvenorii (Swingle) C.Jeffrey+ Etymology and regional names The fruit was first mentioned in the records of 13th-century Chinese monks in Guangxi in the region of Guilin. The difficulty of cultivation meant the fruit did not become part of the Chinese herbal tradition which depended on more readily available products. Luóhàn is a shortened form of āluóhàn, which is an old transliteration of the Indian Sanskrit word arhat (prakrit: arahant). In early Buddhist traditions, a monk who becomes enlightened is called an arhat who attains the "fruition of arhatship" (Sanskrit: arhattaphala). This was rendered in Chinese as luóhàn guǒ (lit. "arhat fruit") which later became the Chinese and western commercial designation for this type of sweet fruit. It may also be called la han qua (from Vietnamesela hán quả), Buddha fruit, or longevity fruit (also used for other fruits).

​ 2.1- Description+ The plant The monk fruit vine Siraitia grosvenorii often reaches a length of anything between 3 meters and 5 meters. The vine climbs over neighbouring plants with the help of its tendrils that twine around everything they come in contact with.+ The leaves The leaves of monk fruit plant are slender, heart-shaped and grow up to a length of 10 cm to 20 cm. This herb bears round fruits that measure about 5 cm to 7 cm across.+ The flowers Unisexual flowers are dioecious; all peduncle, pedicel, sepals, and petals are pubescent and covered with glandular hairs; male flowers are axillary and 5 to 7 of them arrange in racemes; female flowers are solitary in leaf axils. Pepo is round, oblong or obovate; it is dark reddish brown when young and green and pubescent when mature. Flowering time is from June to August and fruiting time is from August to October.+ The fruits The fruit is round, 5-7 cm in diameter, smooth, yellow-brownish or green-brownish in colour, containing striations from the fruit stem end of the furrows with a hard but thin skin covered by fine hairs. The inside of the fruit contains an edible pulp, which, when dried, forms a thin, light brown, brittle shell about 1 mm in thickness. Monk Fruit is a rather finicky grower, rarely found in the wild, but techniques for cultivation have been well developed in a few places in southern China.+ The seeds The seeds of this fruit are elongated and nearly rounded.

2.2- Origin and Distribution+ Origin:Siraitia grosvenorii (luo han guo or monk fruit) is a herbaceous perennial vine of the Cucurbitaceae (gourd) family, native to southern China and northern Thailand.+ Distribution: Luohanguo is primarily grown in southern China, mainly in Guangxi Province, with most of the product from the mountains of Guilin. The steep mountains provide shade and they are frequently surrounded by mists that further protect against excessive sun, yet the temperature in this southern province is warm. The wild plant is rare, thus luohanguo has been cultivated in the region for many years.Luohanguo or Monk fruit can grow well in part shade in Australian subtopics with occasional tendency towards powdery mildew on the leaves at times of the year.

2.5- Health Benefits of Monk fruit+Nutritional value of Siraitia grosvenorii Siraitia grosvenorii or monk fruit is abundant in healthy nutrients and antioxidants, but what makes it truly exceptional is its wonderful taste and natural sweetness. Unlike other sweeteners, monk fruit’s great sweetness does not come from sugars like fructose or sucrose. Rather it is unique in that the sweetness comes from naturally occurring type of antioxidants called mogroside which provides the sweet taste. The advantage in this case is that you can get the natural sweetness without adding calories of sugar. In addition to the antioxidants monk fruit also contains considerable amounts of protein vitamins like vitamin C, minerals (like iron, manganese, nickel, selenium, molybdenum, iodine, and others), amino acids, and carbohydrates like glucose and fructose.

+ Health benefits of monk fruits Although monk fruit is relatively new to other parts of the world, it has been used for centuries by the Chinese as a remedy for many diseases and health conditions. 1- Siraitia grosvenorii and cancer According to research conducted at Nihon University in Japan, monk fruit has the potential to fight cancer cells. This property can be attributed to the presence of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents that improve the immune system and fight off the free radicals. As per the studies, monk fruit contains antioxidants that exhibited extraordinary inhibitory effects on the growth and development of skin cancer in test animals. 2- Siraitia grosvenorii protects the heart Oxidation of bad cholesterol or LDL cholesterol is often responsible for the accumulation of plaque in arteries, which in turn increases the chances of strokes and heart disease. Studies reveal that the mogrosides found in Siraitia grosvenorii have powerful antioxidant properties that are capable of preventing the oxidation of the bad cholesterol and hence prevent heart diseases. Monk fruit is also known to increase the levels of good cholesterol or HDL and lower the levels of triglycerides, LDL and total cholesterol. 3- Siraitia grosvenorii is good for diabetes According to a study published in the online issue of Nutrition Research (April 2008), monk fruit extract helped in lowering the blood sugar levels and hence is helpful in managing diabetes. In spite of the extremely sweet taste, monk fruit has zero calories and is a low glycemic index food that produces no considerable spikes in the blood glucose levels. Those who are looking for a zero calorie natural sweetener should definitely give the monk fruit sweetener a try. 4- Siraitia grosvenorii for asthma and allergies Scientists have discovered that monk fruit has antihistamine effect that helps in calming the cells that are responsible for releasing chemicals like histamine that are associated with producing asthma and allergies. 5- Siraitia grosvenorii relieves constipation Monk fruit is used in Chinese medicine to regularize bowel movements and to prevent digestive problems like constipation. 6- Monk fruit is good for the lungs The extract made from monk fruit is helpful in loosening phlegm and in relieving congestion of the upper respiratory tract and the lungs. Hence it is used as an effective remedy for common cold, coughs, sore throats, pneumonia and flu.

7- Siraitia grosvenorii inhibits agingSiraitia grosvenorii is packed with powerful antioxidants that fight off the free radicals and delay the process of aging. 8- Monk fruit for fever Monk fruit has the amazing ability to lower body temperature and hence is a very useful remedy for fever. 9- Siraitia grosvenorii helps in weight management Although a natural sweetener, monk fruit is a zero calorie fruit that does not add on calories. Hence it is an ideal food for people who want to maintain a healthy weight. 10- Siraitia grosvenorii as a thirst quencher Monk fruit is a very good thirst quencher and its cooling effects to the body help in fighting heat strokes. For getting relief from heat strokes, break open a monk fruit and stir it in boiled water. Drinking this infusion can give you a cooling effect as well as quench your thirst. Source: Health benefits of luohan guo | Value Food

4- Growing Luo han guo or Monk Fruit plant

​ 4.1- History+ In China During the Tang Dynasty, Guilin was a major Buddhist retreat area with many temples. The fruit (guo, a term used mainly for gourd-like fruits) is named after the luohan, which are advanced Buddhist practitioners (see classic painting of some luohan, left; in India, they are called arhats). The story told in China is that knowledge of this fruit first emerged from monks who were using it during the 13th Century. Due to its limited natural growing area (mainly mountain sides in Guangxi and Guangdong; to a much lesser extent, in Guizhou, Hunan, Jiangxi, and Hainan Island), and difficulty in cultivating it successfully, this fruit did not enter the general herb tradition of China, which depended on more abundant products. So, it is not mentioned in the traditional herb guides. The herb became more prominent during the 20th century. One early English-language report on it is an unpublished manuscript written in 1938 by Professor G.W. Groff and Hoh Hin Cheung. The fruits were reported to be frequently used as the main ingredient in cooling drinks (that is, drinks consumed to counteract hot weather, fever, or disorders described in the tradition as warm or hot in nature). The juice of fresh fruits was known to be very sweet. Groff and Hoh noted that the "luohan fruit of commerce, when cooked with pork or steeped with tea, provides a common Chinese household remedy for colds and congestion of the lungs." They confirmed through interviews that the fruit had only become extensively used in China in recent history. Still, it appears that the development of distinct cultivars, and extensive knowledge of its growth, pollination, and climatic requirements implies a fairly long history of cultivation activity by at least a limited group of people. The herb had been brought to the U.S. early in the 20th century. Groff mentions that during a 1917 visit to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, botanist Frederick Coville showed him a luohan fruit obtained from a local Chinese store in Washington, DC.. Seeds from luohan fruits purchased in a San Francisco Chinese store were included in the original botanical description of the species in 1941. The beginning of research into the sweet component of luohanguo is attributed to C.H. Lee, who published an English report in 1975, and to Tsunematsu Takemoto working in Japan in the early 1980s (he later turned his attention to studying jiaogulan. Development of luohanguo products in China has grown steadily since that time, particularly with the more recent development of highly concentrated extracts for use as sweeteners. Probably the best depiction of luohanguo medicinal use in southern China during the 20th century is that given by Dai and Liu in their book Fruit as Medicine, originally published in Chinese in 1982, then published in English in 1986. Here is their description: Dried fruit may be bought in the city markets. The outer surface of the dried fruit is round and smooth, dusty yellow-brown or dusty green-brown. It is covered with fine, soft hair. The fruit is covered by a hard but thin shell. Inside is a partly dry, flexible substance containing the juice, as well as a large number of seeds. The skin, juicy part, and seeds all have a good sweet flavor. Its nature is cool, and it has no poison. The fruit helps relieve sunstroke, moistens the lungs, eliminates phlegm, stops cough, and promotes bowel movements.

+ In other countries The first report in England on the herb was found in an unpublished manuscript written in 1938 by G. Weidman Groff and Hoh Hin Cheung. The report stated the fruits were often used as the main ingredients of "cooling drinks" as remedies for hot weather, fever, or other dysfunctions traditionally associated with warmth or heat (i.e. inflammation). The fruit was taken to the United States in the early 20th century. Groff mentioned, during a visit to the American ministry of agriculture in 1917, the botanist Frederick Coville showed him a luo han guo fruit bought in a Chinese shop in Washington, DC. Seeds of the fruit which had been bought in Chinese shop in San Francisco were entered into the botanic description of the species in 1941. The first research into the sweet component of luo han guo is attributed to C. H. Lee, who wrote an English report on it in 1975, and also to Tsunematsu Takemoto, who worked on it the early 1980s in Japan (later Takemoto decided to concentrate on the similar sweet plant, jiaogulan). The development of luo han guo products in China has continued ever since, focusing in particular on the development of concentrated extracts.